“Die Gorillas meines Großvaters”

Nature and Environment (), Adrian Warren, Harald Pokieser 50 min

This film tells the story of mountain gorillas – of their discovery and their varied relation to humans. The camera follows the footsteps of Andreas von Beringe on his journey to the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda. One hundred years ago, Andreas’ grandfather Robert von Beringe “discovered” these mountain gorillas in East Africa. It was soon recognized that this was a new species, essentially bigger than the already known gorillas from the lowlands. Of course, the locals already knew of the huge apes. They told horror stories about human-like beings which came out of the woods and plundered the fields. This documentary describes the change in the relationship between gorillas and humans that has taken place in the course of the twentieth century. It talks about hunting guns and about the conversion of Carl Akeley, a former hunter who became a protector of nature.